Former Sunderland star Jody Craddock has reflected on his career, admitting it was a privilege to play for the ‘immense’ Sunderland fans.

Craddock spent six years playing for the Black Cats where he admitted he loved playing in derby matches against Newcastle United. He joined the club on the same day that the Stadium of Light was opened in 1997 fron then non-league side Cambridge United.

He had made 168 appearances for the Wearsiders when he departed for Wolves, where he spent 10 years before ending his career in 2013. A year later in the summer of 2014 Wolves and Sunderland legends came together to play in his testimonial.

A solid centre-back, who was a regular in Sunderland’s second season of finishing seventh in the Premier League in consecutive campaigns, Craddock doesn’t believe he was blessed with much natural ability, but worked hard to ensure he was good enough.

Reflecting on his career, he told Premier League productions: “I entered the game late but had the passion and the drive for it to really, really work hard to get what I wanted.

“I signed for Sunderland on the day that the Stadium of Light opened. It was a fantastic place.

“The noise that is generated from the fans is immense. What a privilege for me to play in a place like that.

“To then also play for them in big games like Newcastle and other big Premier League sides, what a privilege.

“My favourite games always were the derbies. They were so intense, it’s brilliant.

“I’d be in game mode by the Monday and they’re the best games I ever played in.

“I was never relaxed. I was worked up and ready to explode, so to speak. Then you need to focus that and put it into your game and that was how I played.

“I couldn’t have done anything more than what I did (in my career). I squeezed the sponge for everything that was in it; I had nothing else to give.”

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Craddock’s Sunderland departure came after the club were relegated in 2003. He also suffered relegation twice when at Wolves and admitted staying in the top flight is not easy, something David Moyes’ side are realising this term.

“The Premier League is a really tough place to stay,” he said.

“You get teams that manage to stay there for or year but then it’s the second and the third year that are really difficult.

Jody Craddock (Image: Birmingham Post and Mail)

“You need to buy players, but everybody buys players and everybody has that money to be able to.

“You just have to try and find that gem or that one young lad who’s going to really push on and become a big name and a great player.

“It’s difficult and I don’t envy any manager that has to get a team into the Premier League and keep them there.”